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Saw a bed bug in my hotel room!
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RingoRoo
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Feb 4 2011 9:25:22
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Yesterday, when I was checking out of my hotel, I noticed a bug in the bed. I put the little guy in a hotel glass and called up the manager. He checked the room with me and stated that he didn't think it was a bed bug because:
a: It was out after lights had been on in the room for a while
b: I did not experience any bites
c: He couldn't find any others and said it was another bugI was feeling itchy on the plane ride home (could have been psycho-somatic), so I went to a store in the airport and bought a whole new outfit.
When I was unloading my car coming home from the airport, I noticed another one of these bugs on my briefcase. Determined, I looked on the website and it was most definitely a bed bug. I went inside and stripped off the new outfit directly into the washer and wash all of the clothes that were brought on the trip with hot water/hot dry.
My suitcases are still sitting out in my garage. I am afraid to bring them inside, I am afraid about bed bugs infesting my trunk and I don't know what to do next. My luggage is quite expensive, so I don't want to throw it out if possible.
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oldtimer
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Feb 4 2011 10:04:20
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Hi,
First of all don't panic. Stay calm and focused.
1 Seal the luggage in saran or pallet wrap until it can be decontaminated - fumigation (porofessional or DVVP stripes and your best bet) , thermal (professional or PackTite).
2 Inspect your own home to make sure its clear and repeat the inspection weekly (no more frequently than that for the next 3 / 4 weeks) .
3 Read up on checking hotel rooms when you travel and before you stay the night in the room to help you avoid contact.
4 Deep valet the vehicle especially the boot and dispose of the cleaner bag or contents immediately after, the FAQ's here will help a lot.
Hopefully you will have dodged the bullet in not bringing them into your home on this occasion.
Hope that helps.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited -
cilecto
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Feb 4 2011 10:40:07
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Welcome.
These things can be dealt with and your luggage can be saved, too. I'd suggest you seal your luggage in giant ziplocks or trash bags knotted shut. Likewise, securely seal any loose items. Then read the FAQ to get a better handle on the situation.What David said.
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Bug Slayer
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Feb 4 2011 14:03:53
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You can spray luggage with 70- 90 % rubbing alcohol to kills the bugs but it wont kills the eggs,you will need to spray again after the eggs hatch if there are eggs and they maybe a good chance.Steaming the luggage too.You can dust with DE after to make sure all is killed.I do the three steps...alchol, steam and dust...im a slayer...LOL
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your host
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Feb 4 2011 14:41:53
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Bug Slayer - 36 minutes ago »
You can spray luggage with 70- 90 % rubbing alcohol to kills the bugs but it wont kills the eggs,you will need to spray again after the eggs hatch if there are eggs and they maybe a good chance.Steaming the luggage too.You can dust with DE after to make sure all is killed.I do the three steps...alchol, steam and dust...im a slayer...LOLBug Slayer,
What David Cain and cilecto suggest is a good protocol for treating luggage exposed to bed bugs in a hotel.
Yours is not reliable. Being more certain about killing any bed bugs present is crucial when you're talking about exposing your home to bed bugs.
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cilecto
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Feb 4 2011 15:28:35
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> What David Cain and cilecto suggest is a good protocol for treating luggage exposed to bed bugs in a hotel.
To be accurate, only David had a treatment protocol. I was just suggesting containment pending reading assignment and follow-up discussions. When I saw that David had it covered, I deferred to him.
Bagging all your things (alone) is, IMHO, not treatment.
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your host
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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Feb 5 2011 1:59:08
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cilecto - 10 hours ago »
To be accurate, only David had a treatment protocol. I was just suggesting containment pending reading assignment and follow-up discussions. When I saw that David had it covered, I deferred to him.
Actually, I was including you because you said,
What David said.
Sorry I wasn't clear.
No, bagging alone is not treatment.
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BugsInTO
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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Feb 5 2011 14:51:06
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It can take 10 days for bedbug bites to show up. While it is never good to take medicine unnecessarily, I think you should buy some over-the-counter antihistamines (such as Benadryl) to make sure you have them in the house.
It is hindsight but I wish I had told my brother to take Benadryl immediately when he called me from his hotel room. He had found engorged bedbugs, but his bites didn't appear until 2 days later. He reacted very strongly once they showed up, and I think it might have been a milder reaction if he had started the antihistamines sooner.
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Bug Slayer
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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Feb 5 2011 16:58:03
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Nobugsonme
Are you saying steaming,alcohol and DE wont kill bugs?Are you ok?
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your host
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Posted 2 years ago
Sun Feb 6 2011 1:42:31
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Bug Slayer - 8 hours ago »
Nobugsonme
Are you saying steaming,alcohol and DE wont kill bugs?Are you ok?Bug Slayer,
The other poster describes a situation in which luggage and the clothing they were wearing have been exposed to bed bugs outside the home. Clothing is easy: dry on hot or wash and dry on hot.
(Then there's the car, but that's another story.)The key point here is that the home itself is not thought to have been exposed to bed bugs yet.
Steam and rubbing alcohol are contact killers. They can kill bed bugs if hit directly. If you're treating your home, steam will usually have to be used repeatedly.
DE is a mechanical killer. They must walk over it in order to be killed. This can take time.
When you are dealing with exposed luggage, you want to be absolutely sure not to expose the home to bed bugs. You can't take any chances that your steam did not hit the bed bugs/eggs, or that alcohol did not drench them. You can't just hope they walked over DE in the suitcase before you bring the item in.
You cannot be 100% certain any of these methods you suggest has worked the last time you applied them. You have to wait and see. And there's no waiting and seeing when you expose possibly-still-infested luggage to your believed-to-be-bed bug-free home.
That's why David suggests methods which, done properly, should work without fail to eliminate bed bugs in the luggage:
* DDVP strips (I am not an expert on these and am not recommending them, but others do)
* heat (such as a Packtite, monitoring the temps; alternatively, the bag could be unpacked outside and clothing bagged and put through the dryer; other items could be quarantined, etc.)
* Vikane (sulfuryl fluoride) gas"Done properly" is the key phrase when you talk about these methods.
Your chosen methods (steam, DE, and alcohol) can work for treating a home. They can be used safely if people do their research. However, they are not good treatment for infested belongings such as a packed suitcase.
If you don't understand why, you might want to spend more time reading and learning before you offer advice on methods to others.
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Bug Slayer
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Posted 2 years ago
Sun Feb 6 2011 13:59:10
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I was thinking if you steam the luggage really well,drench with alcohol and then puff with DE.... do all this 3 TIMES, this would do.....my God.....if this wouldnt work id use TNT
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